A LITTLE EXTRA Karachi Down Syndrome Program Suite 102, Jason Trade Centre, Shahra-e-Faisal, Karachi
Advocating the value, acceptance and inclusion of
people with Down syndrome in Karachi
SUMMER 2015 EDITION
Editorial Welcome to the first ever KDSP Newsletter! The last few months at KDSP have
been very exciting! We completed a successful awareness campaign on the
occasion of World Down Syndrome Day 2015 which culminated with the fun-
filled KDSP Carnival on March 22nd. Details of our 2015 campaign and more are
included in this first edition of our newsletter.
At KDSP, we want to work towards changing society’s perception of Down
syndrome and how people with Down syndrome can often accomplish more
than we think they can. This effort for change however, will not be possible
without the constant guidance and advice from the families and supporters of
our friends with Down syndrome. This newsletter, and all the subsequent ones
to follow, are just a small part of that effort. Nonetheless, we urge you to provide
us with feedback on how we can improve and what sort of information you
would like to find in our quarterly publications. Please feel free to write in to us
at [email protected] with your input and queries about this newsletter
or our events and programs. It would be great to hear from you!
Best wishes,
Team at KDSP
Contents
What is the Karachi Down Syndrome Program?
KDSP is an organization formed by a group of parents and passionate individuals advocating the value and inclusion of
people with Down Syndrome in Karachi.
Editorial ------ 1
KDSP Carnival 2015 ------ 2
WDSD Campaign ----- 3
Activities of the month ----- 5
Health and Development ----- 7
Karachi Down Syndrome Program’s Quarterly Newsletter
Karachi Down Syndrome Program June 2015 issue
2
KDSP Carnival 2015
On Sunday, the 22nd of March 2015, the
Karachi Down Syndrome Program
hosted a carnival at the Beach Luxury
Hotel with the aim of celebrating World
Down Syndrome Day and to show that an
inclusive society is truly possible.
Families of people with Down syndrome,
their friends, excited volunteers and
celebrities and other supporters of KDSP
came together for an evening full of fun,
games, dance, delicious food – and best
of all, the biggest smiles!
From 4pm through 8pm, people danced,
sang, played games at the games stalls
On the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day 2015, KDSP hosted a Carnival for everyone!
We look forward to celebrating World
Down Syndrome Day next year with the
same fervor, enthusiasm and support
from everyone. By spreading awareness
together, we can help shatter stereotypes
and celebrate all individuals regardless of
their abilities.
Recognize the possAbilities!
and won all our winner gifts so fast that
most of the KDSP team was having
trouble keeping up the supply of the
winner goody bags! After everyone was
exhausted from playing and having fun,
the food area was there to provide them
with the energy they needed; juices,
drinks, doughnuts, pizza, brownies and
cupcakes, chaat, gol gappas and ice
cream!
For the artsy people, there was the
paint-your-own-t-shirt stall as well as an
art corner. It was a fun win-win for all!
Some of the most popular stalls at the
Carnival was the photo-booth and the
Raffle and Lucky draw. One lucky winner
walked away with two tickets to Dubai!
The most happening place at the
Carnival though was the centre-stage
where the dance competitions were
underway! Never have we seen more
fabulous moves than on the stage! Our
friends with Down syndrome had the
most fantastic time showing off their
dance moves and grooving to the beat!
KDSP is extremely grateful to all the
Carnival sponsors who made the event
possible. Their generosity brought
together people from all backgrounds
and all abilities and showed that a
tolerant and inclusive society is indeed
possible!
CELEBRATING WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY 2015
The children had fun hitting the sponge
on the brave volunteers, knocking over
the tin can alley, and riding the train!
Karachi Down Syndrome Program June 2015 issue
3
March 21, 2015 marked the 10th anniversary of the World
Down Syndrome Day. KDSP celebrated this day with the
aim of creating awareness about Down syndrome and
making our society tolerant towards, and inclusive of our
friends with Down syndrome.
For this occasion, KDSP put up 21 billboards all around the
major areas of Karachi to create awareness about Down
syndrome and celebrating the role the families in the lives
of people with Down syndrome. 21 billboards were set up
around Karachi to recognize the 21st chromosome.
On March 20, 2015, representatives from KDSP attended
the 4th World Down Syndrome Day Conference at the UN
Headquarters, New York. The theme for the conference
was “‘My Opportunities, My Choices’ – Enjoying Full and
Equal Rights and the Role of Families” and this theme was
also incorporated into KDSP’s entire campaign. Our
delegates returned with beneficial insights as to how to
make our society more inclusive for individuals with Down
Syndrome.
4th UN Conference on Down Syndrome
WDSD 2015 Campaign Highlights
21 Billboards for the 21st chromosome!
Karachi Down Syndrome Program June 2015 issue
4
“My Opportunities,
My Choices –
Enjoying Full & Equal
Rights and the Role of
Families”
Theme for WDSD
2015
Raising awareness with KDSP Video 2015
KDSP developed a short video based on the
theme of World Down Syndrome Day
2015, highlighting the positive role of
family members in the life of a person with
Down syndrome. The shorter version of
the video was used to promote public
awareness about Down syndrome by
running prior to the start of every film at
the Atrium Cinemas, Karachi on the 20th
and 21st of March 2015.
The video also aired several times all week
leading up to World Down Syndrome Day
on major news channels including Aaj TV,
Samaa TV, Geo News, Dawn News, etc.
Awareness was also raised by posting the
video on social media i.e. Facebook,
Youtube and Daily Motion and reached
more than 500,000 views collectively.
Representatives from KDSP also appeared
live on the morning shows of major
mainstream channels, including Aaj TV,
Health TV, Samaa TV, Dawn News, etc. on
the days leading up to WDSD 2015. The
KDSP video was aired during these
morning shows as well. Aaj TV in particular,
hosted representatives of KDSP on its
morning shows on the 20th and 21st of
March.
Awareness through print advertisement
A print ad which relayed the significance of World Down
Syndrome Day was prepared and printed in two different
magazines, one of which was a newsletter for the Karachi
Grammar School and its alumni, and the other being SellOut! –
a popular home marketing magazine.
Karachi Down Syndrome Program June 2015 issue
5
ACTIVITIES AT KDSP! APRIL – JUNE 2015
Clay class for children
On May 12, 2015 children between the ages 4-12 visited KidzDunya –
an indoor amusement park in Karachi. This exhilarating trip provided
the children a chance to engage in numerous fun filled activities and
games. A role playing game saw the children taking on the role of
policemen and catching thieves, and learning about police
responsibilities. The children also dressed up as firefighters and role-
played extinguishing fire. The children unleashed their artistic
creativity in the ice-cream designing and painting activities, where
designed ice-creams according to their own taste, and took pride in
eating their own creations later.
Trip to KidzDunya
Art and crafts classes for adults
Who doesn’t love art and crafts? Be it kids or adults, art
and crafts is that one activity that appeals to all alike!
Weekly art and crafts sessions for adults were held at
KDSP by Mrs. Mahtab Pirzada from April to June. The
initial class focused on teaching our friends with Down
syndrome how to hold the needle steadily, and as the
classes progressed they were taught different stitching
styles along with applique designing. Everyone then came
up with their own projects incorporating all that they
learnt in these classes. One of the main aims of these
classes was that the skills inculcated in these activities can
also prove to be fruitful if the students wish to make
handicrafts and start up their own, independent
businesses in the future.
Children had a busy time modelling, squashing, rolling and
pounding during a Clay therapy session held on May 30,
2015 by Abeer Asim from Mudpie Ceramic Art Studio. The
children let their imaginations run wild by making animals,
aliens and various other characters out of clay, and then
concocting a story involving those characters. Parents too
seemed to have as much fun as their kids as they helped
their children in creating characters and stories. Modelling
clay helped enhance fine motor skills, and coming up with
imaginative stories reinforced the children’s critical thinking.
Karachi Down Syndrome Program June 2015 issue
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Family Support Group Session (June) – Occupational Therapy
June’s Family Support Group Session was held on
June 13th, 2015 by Najma Adam who is an
occupational therapist at the South City Hospital,
Karachi. The topic for this session was Occupational
Therapy where parents were briefed about the
importance of introducing occupational therapy as
early intervention for children with Down syndrome,
and its related benefits. The session was attended
by 25 parents and caregivers.
Family Support Group Session (April) – Common Infections in DS
Family Support Group Session (May) – Speech Therapy & DS
KDSP’s monthly Family Support Group Session for the month
of April was conducted by Dr. Fatima Mir on the topic of
“Common Infections in Children with Down Syndrome and
Related Vaccinations”on 18th April at the KDSP office. Dr.
Fatima Mir is a Faculty Member of the AKUH Department of
Pediatrics and Child Health. This very informative session
was attended by 26 parents and family members. Dr. Fatima
Mir explained in detail the most common infections to which
children with DS are susceptible to, the symptoms as well as
preventive vaccines.
On May 16th, Ms. Amna Siddiqui who is an Assistant
Professor, Audiologist and Speech Language Therapist as
well as the Principal of College of Speech Language &
Hearing Sciences, Ziauddin University conducted a Family
Support Group Session on “Speech Therapy & Related
Issues”. This session was targeted towards parents and
caregivers of younger children and Ms. Siddiqui relayed
valuable information relating to the importance of early
speech intervention for children who have Down syndrome.
The session was attended by 61 parents and family
members.
Karachi Down Syndrome Program June 2015 issue
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Karachi Down Syndrome Program
Suite 102, First floor, Jason Trade Centre
Main Shahra-e-Faisal, Karachi.
Phone: 021-34315377 or 34385377
Email: [email protected]
Health & Development
One of our billboard designs from our World Down Syndrome Day 2015 Campaign
Sleep Apnea and Down Syndrome
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which
breathing repeatedly stops and starts.
There are two main types of sleep apnea:
• Obstructive sleep apnea, the more
common form that occurs when throat
muscles relax
• Central sleep apnea, which occurs when
your brain doesn't send proper signals to
the muscles that control breathing
There is a 50-100% incidence of
obstructive sleep apnea in individuals with
Down Syndrome with anatomy being the
main reason of this higher incidence. Some
factors include: central apnea, low muscle
tone in the mouth and upper airway,
narrowed air passages in the midface and
throat, a relatively large tongue, and
enlargement of adenoid and tonsillar
tissues. Increased upper airway infections
Consult your child’s doctor or a specialist if
you think your child may have symptoms
of sleep apnea. Usually an overnight sleep
study is performed to determine any
unusual sleep patterns and to monitor
oxygen intake levels. Surgical removal of
the adenoids and tonsils may be
prescribed to treat the symptoms of
obstructive sleep apnea.
Source: National Down Syndrome Society,
mayoclinic.org
and nasal secretions and a higher
incidence of obesity further contribute to
this.
Sleep disordered breathing has been
shown to affect cognitive abilities,
behavior, growth rate and in some cases,
more serious consequences of pulmonary
hypertension (abnormally high blood
pressure in the arteries of the lungs) and
heart failure.
Symptoms that are suggestive of sleep
abnormalities include: restless sleep,
snoring, gasping noises, heavy breathing,
apneic pauses, frequent waking during the
night, trouble getting out of bed, daytime
sleepiness and excessive napping. Sleep
apnea can also cause behavioral changes,
including symptoms of irritability, poor
concentration and impaired attention.
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